Shown below are some of the many shacks of Bill Meara, N2CQR.   (13Jan08, 15Feb08)    

This London, England, location is the former Radio M0HBR.   It was also the first "recording studio" for the popular podcast called Soldersmoke.

The radio shack has a Drake 2B receiver at the center with some homebrew rigs on the shelf above.  

Now we have the latest in Bill's long list of shacks.   This is I0/N2CQR in Rome.    Bill moved to Italy in the summer of 2007 and recently (Feb 08) received the required documents that allow him to again get on the air, operating portable with his stateside call.

Bill reports that he is making contacts all over Europe with his HW-8 and a slender piece of wire that hangs out the window.   I'm guessing that the variable capacitor and red coil form an antenna matching system.

Bill's work takes him all over the world.   He is shown below with son Billy, another SS regular, at their shack in the Azores from a few years ago.

There is an interesting structure in the photo on top of what looks like an old HQ-100 receiver.    It looks like a clock.  At first I thought that it might be the famous "Gong."   Guess it would be just as well not to hit it with a hammer.    


Bill spent many years in the Dominican Republic and in other parts of Central America.   His QSL card from that interval is shown above.    You can hear Bill's podcast by clicking here.

As most of you know, Soldersmoke originated from an Internet friendship between Bill and Mike, KL7R.    Mike died in an automobile accident in early 2007, which was a shock to all of us.   Here's a photo that Mike sent to w7zoi after a QSO on 40 Meter CW during SKN of January 07.

This is Mike (KL7R) at the shack of well known QRP enthusiast Jim, AL7FS.  We all continue to miss Mike.